The invention relates to a gas generator with a housing, an outflow opening in the housing via which gas can emerge, and a bursting membrane which closes the outflow opening in the non-activated state of the gas generator and which is destroyed on activation, the bursting membrane having an outer edge at which it is permanently fastened to a wall which defines at least one axial section of the outflow opening.
Such a gas generator is known from the U.S. Pat. No. 3,721,456 to McDonald. This generic tubular gas generator has a housing constructed in several parts. The housing consists of a tubular section and of an expensively manufactured end wall screwed therein, which has a narrowing outflow opening. On the inner face, a membrane is fastened to the end wall upstream of the outflow opening. The inner face of the end wall continues into the outflow opening in a 90.degree. angle. The membrane is fastened to the inner face of the end wall. When a predefined internal pressure is exceeded in the housing, the bursting membrane tears into individual pieces. Some membrane segments which are formed thereby are entrained with the gas stream and can arrive into the adjoining gas bag, where they can destroy the gas bag wall because of their high temperature. In order to prevent an entrainment of such hot membrane segments into the gas bag, in the prior art filters are always provided after the outflow opening, which hold back the membrane segments.